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In previous versions of the collab module it was possible to change the configuration so that pressing the enter key sent the message. This option appears to have been removed from more recent builds. Please restore this option as it's far more conveniant than using the 2 key sequence of Alt+N or using the mouse to press the send button.
Removal of all the logic related to optional Enter have simplified the UI and its usage significantly. I'm neither going to reintroduce the option nor going to just enable send-by-enter. Note that you can still send the message using Ctrl+Enter as in many popular IM clients.
Simplifying the UI for new users is an excellent goal, but doing this by removing features is NOT good practice. Rather than removing the option of having 'Enter' send the message why not move the selection of this 'advanced' feature to the Tools->Options dialog.
Having send-by-enter burried in options won't work, you'd need to switch this frequently during conversation (writing code snippets w/o enter is kind of impossible). Having send-by-enter in chat mode and send-by-ctrl-enter in code mode would be inconsistent and you'd have to think in which context you're just trying to send the message. At most, I could agree with an options switch between "Send by Enter, break by Ctrl+Enter" vs. "Send by Ctrl-Enter, break by Enter", but IMHO it would still be confusing to need to use Ctrl-Enter while typing in a code snippet. CCing UI for an expert opinion.
On the comment, "Note that you can still send the message using Ctrl+Enter as in many popular IM clients." Best check all IM clients. The one I use the most, AIM, has the behavior where I type a message and as soon as I hit "ENTER", whatever I have typed is sent. I have never hit Ctrl+Enter, moved a mouse to a "send" button, etc. My expected behavior is on an IM client is the type a message and at any time I hit "ENTER", what I have typed is sent. Perhaps other IM clients are different or IM clients have different default behavior in different locales/countries as a result of the locale or keyboard?
I agree with hunch, both of the standalone IM clients I use send the message when enter is pressed. The users in our community I converse with regularly over NB Collab have also expressed the same opinion.
Also don't narrow your usage case too much on assumptions on what users are doing with your tool. I use the collab service extensively to work with our community and I've never written a line of code in the IM window. I share the code files so everyone can see syntax highlighting etc.
Let's keep this question open for now. We can't change it for 5.0 anyway. Now to your comments: huntch: Some clients may be different, but still, we need reasonable way of inserting line breaks in code mode. We have few options here and none of them is optimal. Either we can have inconsistency between text chat and code chat, or inconsistency between source editor and code chat input,or we can have Ctrl+Enter as send shortcut. I must admit that I'm biased by using ICQ (which is for some reason more popular in CR than other clients). paulby: I'd say its you who is narrowing the usecases. You're biased too because you don't use code chat.
It comes down to user preference, you should let the user choose what mode they want to operate in, some users will want to write code in IM, some will not and other will use both modes at different times. Can we get a commitment to have this fixed in 5.1 ?
I can't see that as a major problem really. 1) typing code snipplets in conversation window can never be replaced with file-sharing; it is just 2 totally different feature from 2 end of the spectrum. 2) I would indeed be thoroughly confused if I have to press Enter to send message and Ctrl+Enter to send code; I admit that I'm never too good at those little flash games w.r.t. click and press. 3) AIM, MSNM use Enter to send message; ICQ is configurable but use SHIFT/CTRL+ENTER by default. However, I think the argument for CTRL+Enter in Collab is the fact that in the code editor you type Enter for a new line, so you would naturally going to do the same with code snipplets in conversation window - and I have been having troubles with MSNM before on keep sending "broken" code snipplets because I press Enter instead of.... *Oh the horror* So all in all, I don't see the suggestion in this issue as an appropriate decision to make UI-wise, as far as NetBeans is concerned; but of course little things like these are always open to debate ;-)
Reassigning to issues@collab. Collab Support plugin is not actively maintained. Obsoleted in 6.7 by the newly introduced integration with Project Kenai, a collaborative environment for developers to host their open-source projects, which includes also a chat service.